Life after transmigrating had been so peaceful that Thành almost forgot—this novel was brutal as hell.

In the story, aside from his dear brother-in-law Trương Văn Thành, another major childhood tormentor of Lê Soạn was Thành’s own cousin, Thị Lan.

Thị Lan was a few years older than Lê Soạn and had been infamous since childhood for being nasty and sharp-tongued. Seeing that Lê Soạn was young, weak, and had no one to protect him, she latched onto the excuse that he was just a freeloader living in her cousin’s house and made it her daily mission to pick fights, falsely accuse him, and bully him relentlessly.

As Lê Soạn grew up, he raised his banner in rebellion and stormed the capital. Trương Văn Thành was executed, and his entire family was thrown into prison.

Amidst the chaos, Thị Lan finally realized she had messed up big time. So, she went into full survival mode—clinging onto Lê Soạn’s leg, tossing her husband aside like yesterday’s trash, and shamelessly doing everything in her power to seduce him.

Lucky for her, Lê Soạn in the novel was the kind of man who ate whatever was on the menu. And so, Thị Lan got herself a spot in his harem.

Too bad, every single one of her (H) scenes was horrific. Lê Soạn still held a grudge, after all. Every time Thành saw a chapter titled “Thị Lan (H)” he knew he was about to witness some excessively wet and wild SM nonsense, so absurd it made readers question both the author’s moral compass and Thị Lan’s supernatural ability to endure a night of torture only to wake up fresh and ready for palace drama the next morning.

Lê Soạn had a sadistic streak. With other women, he wasn’t exactly a swoon-worthy romance novel male lead, but at least he wasn’t as rough. Thị Lan, though? He showed no mercy.

Back then, Thành found those scenes super exciting to read. But now that these characters had turned into real, living people in front of him, his feelings had done a complete 180.

Thị Lan was just a 13-year-old girl—still young enough to be taught and corrected. And with Thành here to watch over little Soạn, she wouldn't be able to bully him too badly. More importantly, Thành wanted Lê Soạn to grow up into a man who respected and cherished women.

Ideally, he should love only one person and treat them well for a lifetime.

Now, back to the current situation—Thành rushed over to break up the fight.

Thị Lan had come over for a visit and instantly fell in love with Soạn's little cat. She eagerly grabbed it for a cuddle, but Xôi Xéo, though usually friendly, wasn’t happy about being squeezed and swiped at her with its claws.

Her spoiled princess side kicked in immediately. Furious, she ordered the servants to capture the cat and drown it in the pond.

Soạn, of course, wasn’t having it. He clutched Xôi Xéo for dear life, refusing to let go. The servants, knowing how close he had gotten to Thành, hesitated and didn’t dare touch him.

Seeing this, Thị Lan personally jumped in, grabbing at Soạn in an attempt to snatch the cat away—turning the whole thing into a full-on tug-of-war.

Thị Lan threw Xôi Xéo to the ground with a thud. The poor kitten let out a weak meow, its front leg bent at an odd angle.

Lê Soạn saw red. He shoved her so hard she fell flat on the courtyard floor, her fancy clothes smeared with dirt.

Hearing the commotion, Madam Thị Diễm rushed out. Of course, she immediately took Thị Lan’s side and ordered the servants to drag Soạn out for a beating.

Vân Trang clung to her little brother, crying and begging her mother-in-law to spare him.

Luckily, Thành made it back just in time.

It was obvious who was at fault here. Thành turned to Thị Lan, his voice sharp. “Is this how you behave in someone else’s house? Did your parents never teach you any manners? That’s someone’s pet—you think you can just kill it because you feel like it? You go to the temple and pray on holidays, but do you even know what Buddha teaches? That we shouldn’t harm innocent creatures? The kitten only scratched you once, and you want to drown it. If you keep acting like this, don’t be surprised when King Yama throws you straight into the pit for cruelty!”

Thị Lan, pampered and sheltered all her life, had no way to argue against Thành’s Ethics 101 lecture. She stood there, silent and stiff, unable to refute a single word.

With that settled, Thành ordered the servants to tend to Xôi Xéo’s injured leg, told Vân Trang and her brother to return to their room, then pulled Madam Thị Diễm aside for a private word. His tone was gentle but firm.

“Mother, please forgive me for speaking bluntly. You’re the head of this household, and everyone respects you. I understand that you want to establish authority over Vân Trang as your new daughter-in-law, and that’s fair. But when conflicts arise, you must investigate properly before taking sides. Vân Trang is the daughter of an official—a noblewoman with proper upbringing. If you handle things so unfairly, she may not say anything, but deep down, she won’t truly respect you. And without respect, how can she ever be filial to you?”

Madam Thị Diễm knew she had been in the wrong. Her eyes reddened, but all she could do was grumble a few complaints before retreating to her room.

As for Thị Lan, she was tactfully sent home.

Crisis averted.

That afternoon, Thành went to check on the kid, wanting to see if he was okay, but Vân Trang stopped him. She said Soạn was upset and didn’t want to see anyone right now. Thành didn’t push it.

Tomorrow, he’d buy the kid a feast of bánh tẻ and take him out for some fresh air—cheering him up was top priority.

That night, Văn Nhữ came over as usual. After such a dramatic morning, the poor boy probably wasn’t in the mood to study. Thành told Vân Trang to let him rest and skip lessons for the night.

With nothing else to do, the two young men set up a table of snacks, poured themselves some wine, and enjoyed a quiet evening under the moonlight.

"I think you should find a new lover—someone flashy—then put on a grand show of affection," Văn Nhữ clinked his cup against Thành’s, pausing briefly before speaking. His tone was unusually serious, completely devoid of his usual teasing.

"This is about what happened today? I feel like His Majesty was more interested in probing for information about Lê Soạn rather than doubting my relationship with Vân Trang."

Văn Nhữ glanced around, then leaned in and whispered into Thành’s ear. "His Majesty is notoriously suspicious. If you only say you like men, he’ll never fully believe it. If, one night, he loses sleep worrying that you might develop feelings for Vân Trang, he will send someone to..." Văn Nhữ mimed a scissor-snipping gesture with his fingers. "Or worse..." He dragged a finger across his throat. "... and then marry Vân Trang off to someone he actually trusts."

Thành watched Văn Nhữ’s dramatic hand movements and barely managed to keep a straight face.

Thinking back on it, after days of subtle probing, Thành had managed to piece together a clearer picture of Lê Vân Trang and Lê Soạn’s background. He also had a rough idea of why Vân Trang ended up marrying Trương Văn Thành and why Soạn’s education had been so difficult.

The previous dynasty, the House of Ngô, collapsed when its last ruler died without an heir. With no clear successor, the royal clan fell into infighting, plunging the country into civil war. At the time, Trương Chí Kiên was a Grand Marshal commanding an army of one hundred thousand. After suppressing the chaos, he seized the throne, proclaimed himself the Grand Founder, and established the Trương Dynasty.

Vân Trang and Soạn’s mother had been a princess of the fallen Ngô Dynasty—the only surviving member of the royal bloodline. She had once saved the Grand Founder’s life during his lowest point, which earned her mercy. After ascending the throne, he arranged for her to marry a provincial governor from the Lê family. A powerless woman like her posed no threat, so she spent the rest of her life quietly in the inner court. She bore two children in silence, then passed away just as quietly when disaster struck the Lê household.

As for the Grand Founder, despite ruling for years, he never had a child. When he fell gravely ill, knowing his time was running out, he had no choice but to name his younger brother—the current emperor—as Crown Prince. The new dynasty had barely taken root before the Grand Founder passed away, leaving his brother to inherit the throne.

Because of the Grand Founder’s lingering gratitude toward the late princess, the current emperor allowed her two children to live. However, since they were descendants of the previous dynasty, he kept them under strict control. Vân Trang was married off to a man who liked men and was forbidden from bearing children. Meanwhile, despite being the son of a noble family, Lê Soạn was denied a proper education.

"I'm only reminding you because I want what's best for you," Văn Nhữ said. "After tonight, I won't be coming over so late anymore. The Censor-in-Chief’s family agreed to this marriage out of respect for my father, but that doesn't mean I should neglect their daughter."

"No, no, I get it," Thành nodded. "You've already helped me so much. Thank you."

Văn Nhữ stayed with Thành until they finished the food and drinks. After bidding farewell, he staggered home, leaving Thành to return to his room and sleep.

In the middle of the night, Thành woke up, feeling the urge to relieve himself—probably from drinking too much earlier. He fumbled for a candle, lighting it as he made his way outside.

Suddenly, he caught sight of a shadowy figure lurking in the darkness.

Thành wasn’t the type to scare easily—after all, in his past life, he had been a firefighter.

The shadow noticed him and immediately tried to flee. But who did it think it was fooling? In this household, there was only one person small enough to match that figure. Thành swiftly grabbed their wrist before they could escape.

"Soạn?" He peered down at the child. "What are you doing here so late at night?"

Lê Soạn was ice-cold from head to toe, his body trembling as he clutched something tightly in his arms. Thành brought the candle closer.

The boy kept his head down, his fingers gripping whatever he was holding.

Thành froze.

Xôi Xéo was dead.

Its tiny legs were still wrapped in cloth and splinted—the same bandages Thành had asked someone to apply that afternoon. But now, its small body was rigid, its wide-open eyes staring lifelessly ahead. Water dripped steadily from its soaked fur.

Someone had drowned it.

"How did this happen? Where did you find it?"

Soạn didn’t answer. He didn’t even cry.

Thành felt a pang of sorrow—not just for the poor kitten but also for the boy holding it. Seeing that Soạn was in shock, he decided not to press further and instead softened his voice, gently comforting him.

"It’s late. Put it down for now. I’ll wrap it up properly. Tomorrow, we’ll give it a proper burial, alright?"

Still, there was no response.

Worried that Soạn might catch a cold from the night air, Thành led him into his room. It took a lot of coaxing and reassuring before the boy finally loosened his grip on the kitten.

Thành carefully wrapped Xôi Xéo in a cloth and placed it inside a small wooden box. Once that was done, he turned back to Soạn.

The boy sat curled up in a corner, his head lowered. His clothes were completely soaked.

Thành gently patted Soạn’s head. “Go back to your room, change into dry clothes, and rest. Tomorrow, I’ll find out who did this.”

But Soạn shook his head vigorously.

Thành sighed. Once this kid set his mind on something, not even the heavens could change it.

The servants had all gone to bed, and Thành didn’t want to wake anyone. He told Soạn to stay put, then quietly made his way to the boy’s room to fetch some clothes.

Though the manor wasn’t massive, it was large enough to have separate living quarters. Vân Trang and Soạn stayed in the western wing, in rooms next to each other. Oddly, the light in Vân Trang’s room was still on.

When she saw him, she looked surprised. “Văn Thành, you’re still up?”

From the way she hesitated, it seemed like she wanted to ask, Why are you here? but found it too improper for a wife to question her husband like that. Not wanting to make her uncomfortable, Thành stayed in Soạn’s room, searching through the wardrobe while replying casually.

“I went out to the back earlier and found Soạn—he slipped and fell. His clothes are soaked, so I came to get him a change. What about you? Why are you up so late?”

“I…” Vân Trang hesitated. “I was working on an embroidery piece and lost track of time. Is Liên in your room? I can go bring him back.”

So Vân Trang was a night owl too. But remembering how shaken Soạn looked, Thành didn’t think leaving him alone tonight was a good idea. He grabbed a set of clothes from the wardrobe, stepped onto the veranda, and waved his hand dismissively.

“No need. I’ll take care of him. You should get some rest. And don’t stay up too late—it’s bad for your skin.”

Vân Trang’s face turned red. Did he just imply her skin wasn’t good? Instinctively, she reached up and touched her cheek.

Thành chuckled. “It’s still beautiful now. But if you keep staying up late, you’ll get pimples, and your eyes will be all dark and puffy. So be good and go to sleep.”

Vân Trang silently watched as Thành walked away, thinking to herself—how could this man change so much overnight?